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Tell Congress: Don’t Tax Working Families’ Health Care Benefits
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Today, union leaders are meeting with President Obama to discuss the next step in health care reform legislation, especially the tax on workers’ health care benefits in the Senate bill. On Wednesday, you can join the fight to pass health care reform that works for working families as part of the AFL-CIO’s National Call-In Blitz to the U.S. House.
Both the House and Senate have passed health care reform bills that will be merged into final legislation over the next few weeks. The House version is far better for working families.
Overall, the House bill comes closer to AFL-CIO’s health care reform goals, including a public health care option, a much stronger employer fair share provision and no tax on workers’ health care benefits.
While the Senate bill has many good points, it is deeply flawed. Click here to compare the two.
On Wednesday, call toll free 1-877-3-AFL-CIO (1-877-323-5246) and urge your representative to support working families by voting for health reform that:
- Does not tax our health care benefits;
- Requires employers to pay their fair share; and
- Reduces cost—the best way to do this is with a public health care option.
Meanwhile, following his address to the National Press Club on the nation’s jobs and economic crisis, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka traveled to the White House, where he and other union leaders were to discuss how the final health care reform legislation should be shaped.
Scheduled to join Trumka were AFT President Randi Weingarten, AFSCME President Gerald McEntee, Communications Workers of America (CWA) President Larry Cohen, Electrical Workers (IBEW) President Edwin Hill and United Steelworkers (USW) President Leo Gerard, along with NEA President Dennis Van Roekel and several leaders of Change to Win unions.
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IAM Leaders Oppose Any Health Plan which Taxes Benefits
Mon. January 11, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington, D.C., January 11, 2010 – The Executive Council of the
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) has
voted unanimously to oppose any health care reform legislation that is
funded by taxing the value of workers’ existing health care benefits.
“For decades, IAM members exchanged substantial wage increases for the
best possible health insurance,” said IAM President Tom Buffenbarger.
“Now, in a bizarre turn of events, their insurance premiums will be
subject to a forty percent excise tax if the Senate version of health care
reform becomes law. Democratic leaders have the power to stop this
travesty and I urge them to do so, quickly and completely.”
“IAM members are rightfully outraged over the bait and switch tactics at
both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue,” said Buffenbarger. “They were promised
health care reform. Now they face health care deformed by backroom deals.”
No single issue brought more union members onto last year’s campaign trail
than Republican threats to tax health care benefits, and the Democrats’
pledge to protect those benefits.
“Like NAFTA, the health care excise tax is an issue with the potential to
reverberate for years,” said Buffenbarger. “Machinists have long memories.
And they will long remember who taxed their benefits after pledging on the
campaign trail not to do so.”
The IAM is among the largest industrial trade unions in North America,
representing nearly 700,000 active and retired members in dozens of
industries. For more information about the IAM, visit http://www.goiam.org.
http://www.goiam.org/index.php/news/press-releases/6657-machinists-union-leaders-vote-to-oppose-health-benefits-tax
Distributed by:
All Unions Committee For Single Payer Health Care–HR 676
c/o Nurses Professional Organization (NPO)
1169 Eastern Parkway, Suite 2218
Louisville, KY 40217
(502) 636 1551
Email: nursenpo@aol.com
http://unionsforsinglepayerHR676.org
01/11/09
While I support the President and those in Congress who stand with organized, taxing health care benefits is in driect conflict with negotiated benefits. Those employed in the construction industry spent long hours in negotiations to gain those benefits. We were able to secure healthcare,in part, because the employer could deduct the costs on his/her balance sheet. Taxing those benefits will drive plans down to the lowest common demoninator. Why would this administration seek to lower the qualiy of healthcare plans for those who fought so hard to obtain them?
As a union member (construction) we have forgone money on our checks to keep our heath and welfare at the level it is at. Now we are going to get penalized for doing it? Where is the fairness in that? Remember we are the ones that got you all into office, we can vote you out. The more that I look at this healthcare package the more I see that the Insurance industries are the only ones to benefit!!
Are you tired of being held in contempt by these scumbags that come with their hat in one hand and the other one out,and tell us how much they do for us and we should be appreciative of them?